Audi Brussels Environmental Remediation

Audi appointed AECOM’s environmental and remediation specialists to perform a baseline investigation for its Brussels production site, a total of 49 different cadastral parcels covering approximately 44 hectares.

As the start of the baseline investigation, our environmental experts conducted a thorough historical investigation of the site’s past activities. This included a review of the municipal archive, to determine potentially contaminated areas at the site. We presented the outcome in a summary using our internal Geographic Information System system.

The intrusive field work comprised 170 soil drillings from which we selected 250 soil samples for analysis. Drilling works took place according to the site-specific health and safety requirements, and with applicable regulatory protocols. In addition, we took 150 groundwater samples and sent them for lab analysis.

AECOM reported the outcome of this extensive field investigation according to the regulatory format as a verkennend bodemonderzoek or reconnaissance de l’état du sol, which the local environmental authorities subsequently approved.

Audi also requested a remediation budget estimate. To provide a consistent approach, we developed a standard cost-estimation methodology to apply for every contaminated area. We then delivered an overall liability estimation to the site management.